


It's Only Tennis

by Emony



Series: Dear Neela [1]
Category: E.R.
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-16
Updated: 2010-01-16
Packaged: 2017-10-06 08:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emony/pseuds/Emony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wimbledon traditions: strawberries and cream, but sorry, no Pimm's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Only Tennis

**Author's Note:**

> First posted 26 June 2005

His shift was horrible, and he's looking forward to just vegging out; maybe a bit of subtle Neela-watching. As he parks the van he hears shouts coming from the building. He hurries parking and jogs towards the door and up the steps, the shouts becoming clearer.

"Come on, Tim!"

_Ugh_, he rolls his eyes, were the neighbours at it again? That meant Neela would be in a fine mood.

He opens the apartment door and the sight that greets him amazes him; Neela is standing in front of the sofa, as if she had just jumped up, a British flag around her shoulders.

"Wanker! Bloody stupid umpire!"

She sits, grumbling, not even noticing his entrance, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"Neela?" She ignores him.

He crosses to his room, dumping his stuff he turns back to his roomie.

"Neela?"

"Come on, you can do it."

"Do what?"

"Oh!" This time she jumps up in surprise turning towards him, "Ray! When did you get home?"

"A few minutes ago."

Applause and cheers drag her attention back to the screen.

"Damnit Ray! You made me miss the point!"

"Uh, sorry."

Silence rings through the apartment, the only noise the bounce of a ball.

"How was your day?"

"Shh!"

"Mine was crap."

"That's nice."

"Lewis turned into a purple monkey."

"Uh huh."

Ray grins; _I can have some fun with this._

Applause rings out again, prompting Neela to jump up and dance. Ray slouches into the sofa, grinning as he enjoys the view. The game continues as she sits down again, utterly engrossed. Ray heads to the kitchen and raids the fridge. Noticing a bowl of strawberries and a jug of cream he pours the cream over the strawberries and takes them back to the entertainment.

Neela is once again shouting. He eats a strawberry.

"Ray!" her head swings round to face him, eyes flashing, "What are you doing?"

"Watching the tennis."

"It's not tennis!" He raises an eyebrow, "It's Wimbledon!"

"Ah…" _As if that makes all the difference._

"And that's not what I meant and you know it."

"It's not?" He smirks as she struggles to keep her attention on him and the match. She points at the bowl in his hand.

"Oh, you want one?"

"Of course I bloody want one! They're my strawberries you git!"

She lunges for the bowl, which he moves from her reach, knocking her in the process and causing her to fall on top of him. Raising herself up on her hands she glares at him.

"Ray." She snarls in a low voice.

He puts the bowl on the floor at the side of the couch and picks out a strawberry.

"You want?" he taunts, dangling it in front of her. To his eternal surprise, her only answer is to smile and bite into it. Ray is left holding half a strawberry, mouth open in shock. Neela glances at him.

"You gonna eat that, or do you need help?"

"Uh…"

She grins, taking the strawberry. She moves as if to eat the rest, changes her mind, and feeds it to him. Again she moves towards him, her face moving closer and closer to his. At the last second she moves and reaches behind him for another.

A sensation of disappointment runs through Ray, one that she notices as she kneels back, chewing thoughtfully on the fruit. She smiles as she grabs another cream soaked strawberry and once again feeds it to Ray.

Juice and cream from the fruit drip from Ray's mouth, he lifts his hand to wipe it away, but she catches his hand before it can reach its destination. Puzzled, he looks at her in confusion.

She leans toward him again, watching very carefully for signs of dissuasion, and finds none. Her tongue darts out, cleaning the juice away. His eyes shine with happiness as he turns and catches her mouth with his, all thought swept away as he finally fulfils his fantasy...the moment ruined by a cheer from the TV.

Neela suddenly shoots up, focusing on the screen.

"Yes! Come on Tim!"

Her eyes dart toward a crestfallen Ray, and a grin crosses her face as she reaches for the remote and turns off the TV. She turns back to Ray.

"It's only tennis."


End file.
